Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Just in time for the hot days of summer, July's BDC Challenge focused on Ice Planets.

Check out how the coldness inspired some Big Damn Crafters' members.

Ice Planet Pop by scarywhitegirl

"My food is problematic."

As fans of Firefly, you'll probably recognize this item right away. It's a reproduction of the "ice planet" that River and Book eat (or try to eat) in the episode "The Message." Although this version isn't edible, it would make for a pretty sweet prop if you plan to cosplay as River (or Book, I suppose).

The planet itself is crocheted from a yarn containing wool (70% acrylic, 20% wool, 10% nylon), and stuffed with fiberfill. The string is braided cotton yarn, with small paper stars glued onto the string. The stick is a square shaped dowel rod.

The ice planet measures 10 1/2" (27 cm) at the largest point of its circumference. The dowel rod is 12" long (30.5 cm).

The 4 ice planets are made from paper mâché which have been painted white and coated with a generous helping of glitter. Each ice planet is hung on cotton cording, strung with painted wooden stars. In the center of the mobile, the colorful squares spell out "My food is problematic" and are finished with a set of silver toned bells.

If you'd like to purchase this cute mobile, visit inlerah's shop, here.

Ice Planet ~ Rutilated quartz and more necklace and earrings set by omshanti

The focal bead is a beautiful, inch-and-a-quarter long rutilated quartz bead (just like an Ice Planet!), strung on a strand of beads the colour of icy summer treats.

Glittery purple and blue glass and chips of various colours of quartz make up the 17" long strand. The clasp is made by hand out of silver-coloured wire.

A matching pair of earrings - a quartz chip surrounded by bright glass - comes with the necklace.

If you'd like to purchase this pretty jewellery set, visit omshanti's shop, here.

If you'd like to purchase these dangly earrings, visit rubyzu's shop, here.

River Tam Plush Character by lizstaley

How adorable! A sweet little River Tam plushie, complete with a removable Ice Planet!

The body is made from tan buttersuede fabric and her hair is dark brown buttersuede. She's stuffed with all-new polyester fiberfill and her facial features are painted on with black, brown, and white acrylic paint. River is wearing a cute pink dress and matching shrug. Her Ice Planet is a white pom-pom strung on a double strand of thread and then adorned with a red, yellow, and blue felt star and glued inside of a light brown felt "stick". The cool Ice Planet treat attaches to her arm with a loop of elastic.

In addition, River's clothes are actually removable, so if you're handy with a needle and thread (or know someone who is!), you could make her an entire wardrobe! Her current dress is hand-stitched and not lined, but her shrug jacket is fully lined with matching fabric and machine stitched.